# Maine LD 2169: An Act to Improve the Public Employees Disability Retirement Program by Modifying Provisions Controlling the Reduction of Benefits and Clarifying Terminology Maine LD 2169, An Act to Improve the Public Employees Disability Retirement Program by Modifying Provisions Controlling the Reduction of Benefits and Clarifying Terminology, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Michael Tipping; status signed, last action 2026-03-23 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 598); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2169-132 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 2169 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Improve the Public Employees Disability Retirement Program by Modifying Provisions Controlling the Reduction of Benefits and Clarifying Terminology - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-20 - Last action: 2026-03-23, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 598 - Sponsor: Michael Tipping - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM - DISABILITY - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Covered retirement overpayment debts are forgiven: benefit, medium. Beginning March 23, 2026, people no longer owe covered Maine Public Employees Retirement System debts caused by excess work pay. This relief covers debts outstanding on that date under the four prior earnings-repayment rules identified in the law. It does not cancel every kind of retirement-system… - Inflation-linked work tests for disabled retirees: benefit, medium. Certain Maine disability retirement reviews use a work-capacity test after two years; another rule applies after five years. The test considers work suited to the member's training, education, or experience, with reasonable accommodations. Potential yearly income must exceed the greatest of $35,500… - Social Security no longer cuts retirement: benefit, medium. Affected Maine public employees' disability retirement benefits are no longer reduced because they receive Social Security for the same disability. This removes the Social Security offset, not the separate workers' compensation offset. - Medical reviews can end disability checks: cost, high. For affected Maine public employees, disability must prevent doing their job, be expected to be permanent, and be medically shown. The retirement system's chief executive officer can require medical exams or tests once each year. Benefits stop while a recipient refuses a required exam or test. Refu… - Work reduces retirees' checks, with safeguards: mixed, high. For affected Maine disability retirees, the basic annual work-pay threshold is $35,500 in 2026, rising each January 1 with inflation. Another rule uses the greater of that threshold or annual disability benefits minus the higher of inflation-adjusted average final compensation and final annual comp… - Workers' compensation cuts retirees' disability checks: mixed, medium. Workers' compensation or similar payments for the same disability reduce affected Maine public employees' disability retirement benefits. The initial retirement benefit is reduced as needed to limit combined payments to 80% of average final compensation. The retirement benefit cannot fall below the… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Michael Tipping ## Actions (8) - 2026-03-23: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 598 - 2026-03-19: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-03-18: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-03-17: Reports READ.On motion of Representative ROEDER of Bangor, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (S-527) was READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-527). In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-03-12: COMMITTEE ON BILLS IN THE SECOND READING REPORTS NO FURTHER VERBAL AMENDMENTS NECESSARY. REPORT ACCEPTED.READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-527)Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Reports READ. On motion by Senator TIPPING of Penobscot The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended Report ACCEPTED. Bill READ ONCE. Committee Amendment "A" (S-527) READ and ADOPTED. ASSIGNED FOR SECOND READING NEXT LEGISLATIVE DAY. (Senate) - 2026-01-20: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on LABOR.In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-01-20: Committee on LABOR suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on LABOR Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (S-527), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0879&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0879&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0879&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (S-527), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0879&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0879&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0879&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2169-132 (as of 2026-10-17).